How Do We Know God Is Real?
Month 11: Standing Firm in a Tough World · Why We Believe
Today's Scripture
Read together: Romans 1:19-20 & Psalm 19:1
19 For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse. — Romans 1:19-20
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. — Psalm 19:1
Memory Verse
“But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and respect,”— 1 Peter 3:15 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: John 1–3
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 303 of 365 — "In the beginning was the Word," and God came near in Jesus.)The Heart of It
"How do we know God is even real?" That is one of the first questions the world will throw at your children. So let's answer it with confidence and kindness. The Bible says God has not hidden Himself. sings, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." And says God's "invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship." In other words, creation is like a signature. When you find a painting, you know there was a painter. When you find a watch ticking in the sand, you don't say it happened by accident. Its careful design tells you someone made it. And the universe is far more amazing than any watch.
There are really good reasons to believe God is real. Think about this. Everything that begins to exist needs a cause. And the universe had a beginning. So Someone who had no beginning must have started it. Think about this too. The universe runs on precise rules and stunning design, from the size of the sun to the code inside every living cell. And here is one more. Every human heart knows, deep down, that some things are truly right and some are truly wrong. That only makes sense if there is a real Lawgiver above us. But says something deeper still. People don't usually reject God because the evidence is missing. They reject Him because they don't want Him to be King. That's why our memory verse starts inside the heart. Knowing God is real is only the beginning. Bowing to Him is the goal.
Around the Table
When you see something made, somebody made it! The sky and the stars show us God is real.
Let's do it: Look out the window and find three things God made. Then say, "God is real! I can see what He made!"
A painting needs a painter. A watch needs a watchmaker. The huge, careful world needs a Maker too.
Let's talk: What's something in nature so amazing it makes you sure God made it?
There are three big pointers to God. The universe had a beginning. It's beautifully designed. And we all sense real right and wrong. Yet says people don't only reject God in their minds. They reject Him in their will.
Let's go deeper: Why might someone who has seen plenty of evidence still choose not to believe?
💬 Conversation Starter
Imagine you found a sandcastle on an empty beach. Would you think the waves made it by accident? Why does that same thinking point us to God?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says, "You can't prove God exists": you can gently answer that we can't put God in a test tube. But think about what we can see. The universe had a beginning. It runs on fine-tuned design. And it's full of people who know right from wrong. The best explanation for all of that is a powerful, wise Maker (). It takes far more faith to believe it all came from nothing, by nothing, for no reason. Say it with meekness, not a smirk ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
Your children will rarely lose their faith over one knockout argument. More often it erodes slowly. They sense that hard questions aren't welcome at home, so they take those questions elsewhere, to voices that aren't friendly to Jesus. Make your home the safest place in the world to ask, "Dad, how do we really know?" gives you confidence that the evidence is genuinely on God's side. You're not bluffing. But it also keeps you humble. Belief is finally a heart issue, not just a head issue. That's why we pray for our kids as much as we reason with them. Win the relationship and keep the conversation open, and you keep the door open for the Spirit to work.
Draws on: J. Warner Wallace & Sean McDowell, Cold-Case Christianity for Kids / Evidence That Demands a Verdict.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that You haven't hidden Yourself. The whole world shows that You are real. Help us see Your fingerprints everywhere. And help us not just know about You, but truly love and obey You. In Jesus' name, amen."
Creation is God's signature. The proof I see should lead me to bow, not just to nod.